A Slow Hurt
by Cosette Everdeen
Summary: AU 74th Games. District Twelve sends the determined Kit and ethereal Lux into the arena, much to the dismay of Sylvie back home. An inspired twist on the original story, not just gender-swapped. Co-written with the lovely kelsey731. Please read and review!
1. Yellow Ribbons

It was dark when Kit awoke. He lay in the bed he shared with his younger brother and stared up into the darkness for a few moments, willing the tightness in his stomach to go away. The bed creaked when he sat up and threw his legs over the side, the floor frigid against his bare feet.

"Kit?" a quiet voice asked. "Where are you going?"

"Hunting for your breakfast, Puck. Go back to sleep, it's too early," he murmured, pulling on his socks.

The bed creaked as Puck turned onto his stomach, trying to find a comfortable position. "Is Sylvie going too? Can I come?" He already knew the answer to both questions, but he asked them anyway.

"You're too young to come with me, Puck. In a couple more years, maybe I'll teach you how to shoot," he smiled, ruffling the twelve-year-old's blonde hair. "But if you keep me from the forest any longer, I might not come back in one piece. It pleases her majesty to be on time." He rolled his eyes and in the darkness he could see his younger brother smile. "I'll be back later, bud. Go back to sleep."

He moved about the small house as silently as he could for Puck's sake, checking his father's bedroom. He had left long before Kit had awoken and was somewhere underground with the other men of the district. Kit dreaded the day that he too would be assigned to work in the mines, those endless hours underground where the air, what little there was of it, was rancid. He sighed and grabbed his coat from the hook, pulling it onto his arms as he stepped outside. Dust rose up from the ground as he jogged down the way of the district, knowing that if he didn't get out into the woods any faster, the sun would be coming up. The only bit of activity that seemed to be going on in the early hour was the construction in the town square. The workers were slowly but surely assembling the stage and the giant screens for the Reaping that would go on later that morning. He pursed his lips and looked away from the bustle, continuing on his own endeavor. This year, a handful of people would have their names removed from the drawing, having survived seven years without getting chosen. At the same time, a fresh round of twelve year olds would be added to the mix, having just as much a chance of their name getting picked.

Puck included.

Kit stopped when he made it to the fence, staring at the spot he could climb through. Maybe he shouldn't have come out this morning. The more he thought about his little brother alone at home, most likely not asleep, the more he debated turning around and heading back the way he came. Puck may have been young, but they had been living like this for a long time. He shook his head and ducked through the broken electrical fence on towards the District line, not even bothering to check for the hum.. The electricity hadn't been working for years, and no one else dared to go into the woods, so it wasn't a must fix. Nothing in District Twelve was, aside from things that related to coal. That was understandable, since that was the only thing of worth that came from District Twelve. Kit was sure that if suddenly the coal were to deplete one day, they would all be left to starve. There was game in the forest, sure, but if an entire district relied on it? Hopeless.

The earth was soft against the sole of Kit's boot, the dew on the grass shimmering in the early morning light. He walked into the forest until he couldn't see the fence behind him anymore and then reached into the hollow of an old tree, pulling out a quiver full of handmade arrows. He went a bit further and produced a bow from a fallen log, gripping it in his fist as he pressed forward. He knew he was late and his stomach growled with hunger. While the rest of the world seemed quiet, the forest was alive with sound. The wind rustled the branches and the leaves, possibly covering any prey's noises in an attempt to hide them from the two hunters in the wood. His ears perked up as he heard the familiar sound of a squirrel's chattering and he stopped where he was, his eyes looking for the source of the noise. The small animal sat up in a tree, an acorn in its paws. He slowly, soundlessly pulled an arrow from the quiver and put it to the string, exhaling and drawing it back. A quick release, a small screech of surprise, and the squirrel fell from its perch, dead before it hit the ground. By the time the sun had grown bright enough to light the forest, Kit had another two squirrels and a quail in his pack. That would be enough for a filling breakfast. He sighed and started to jump off of the log he was standing on, then stopped when he saw a flicker of white out of the corner of his eye.

A deer was grazing a few hundred feet away from him, unaware of his presence. Its white tail flicked in a circle as it ate, and Kit felt his whole body tremble with excitement. He carefully strung another arrow and drew the wire back, aiming at the deer. He took a breath and slowly exhaled it, not wanting to miss this chance. _Concentrate…_

"What are you doing there?" a female voice sounded loudly from behind him.

Kit's eyes widened as he saw the deer's head snap up at the voice and then began to dart away. He fired his arrow a second too late and it flew past it, maybe skimming a few hairs of its cotton-white tail. He whirled around, his nostrils flaring with anger. "What the hell was that?" he demanded to the dark haired young girl, hopping down from his post. "That was the first deer I've seen in ages, Sylvie!"

A teasing smile played on her lips and she folded her arms across her chest. "And what were you gonna do with it after you killed it, genius? Haul it back to the Hob on Reaping Day? I see that working out in your favor. What, did you think I'd help you carry that thing? With all those Peacekeepers out today? Yeah, right! Not all of them are gonna turn a blind eye to us, you know."

He sighed and ran a hand through his knotted blonde curls in exasperation. "All that meat…God, I haven't had venison in a long time," he moaned, rubbing his eyes and sighing again. "I'm gonna make you pay for making me miss that." He gave her a stern look with his dark blue eyes and pushed past her in somewhat feigned anger.

Sylvie smiled and she quickly caught up to him, walking in step with him. "Did you have a nice sleep-in this morning? I noticed you failed to meet me at the usual spot. I almost left to go beat some sense into you."

"Get off it, shrimp," he muttered, giving her a sideways glance. "I still came, didn't I? And I bet I got more game than you did." He unslung his pack and sat down against a tree, pulling out the dead animals. "Three squirrels and a quail chick." He grinned when Sylvie clapped her hands in delight, mostly just to cheer him up.

"I've got enough for you to take a couple squirrels back to your family, if you like," she said, taking one of his squirrels and pulling out a knife. She didn't bat an eyelash as she started to gut the squirrel, making a pretty clean job of it too.

Kit watched her with an amused smile on his lips, finding it funny once again that little Sylvie Worrel had grown up into a girl who wasn't revolted by squirrel entrails. When he had met her in school eight years earlier, he wouldn't have believed that she would be doing things like gutting animals with him. There hadn't been any significant event that had happened that had caused them to become friends, he just remembered that they hadn't known one another and then suddenly they were friends. Perhaps because she hadn't been afraid to talk to him like the other kids were. Kit had been a bit of an outcast; he had developed quite a temper since his mother had passed away giving birth to his younger brother. He had been used to being alone when all of a sudden, a shrimp of a girl with ribbons in her hair decided to associate herself with him. She wore yellow ribbons in her hair back then, and every day after. One day, she suddenly stopped wearing them, and he still hadn't asked her why.

At first, he had ignored her and her stupid laugh, turning his back when she would point something out to him. Gradually she grew on him, and now they were very close. Even as she grew up, she hadn't changed much. The thing about Sylvie was that there wasn't anything remarkably special about her. With her thick dark hair, deep brown eyes and olive skin, she had the same features as pretty much everyone else in the District. Those dimples, though...Sometimes when he lay awake in bed, he thought of tracing them with his fingertip. Of drawing her close and brushing his lips against the little indentions in her cheek, letting the tip of his tongue gently dip into it. When he caught himself entertaining thoughts like that, he'd quickly wave them away and bury his face in the mattress, willing sleep to find him.

"You okay?" Sylvie asked, making him blink. Had she been talking to him? The look on her face told him that she indeed had been, and he gave her a sheepish smile. "Gee, I'm glad that I can always count on your impeccable attention span. I know _I'm_ not boring, so you must be the problem."

He laughed and lay down on his back, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the blue sky that peeked through the holes in the forest canopy. "What would you do if I got reaped, Sylvie?" He heard her sharp little breath of a laugh and moved his eyes to her face, raising his brows. "I bet you'd be a wreck."

"No, I don't think so," she murmured, cleaning off her knife. "I'm actually hoping you do get picked. It'd save me a lot of headaches."

"Be serious!"

"I am! Happy Hunger Games, Kit, it was nice knowing you! Don't expect me to come say goodbye to you, I'll be too busy celebrating," Sylvie muttered, blowing her dark hair out of her eyes.

"Hey," Kit frowned, sitting up. "That's not true, is it?"

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What do you think, Kit? Of course not. I hate it," she stuffed her knife into her quiver of arrows, "when you ask me things like that. What would you do if I got reaped?"

He set his jaw, suddenly turning defensive. "That won't happen."

"It could."

"But it won't." His voice was firm but had a hint of worry.

Sylvie looked at him for a moment, seeing the stern look on his face, and she sighed. "See? Not very funny, is it?" She stood up and slung her quiver over her shoulder. "We should head back. I bet your brother is waiting for his breakfast. And you should think about bathing before the Reaping," she said with a grin, wrinkling her nose. "Just looking out for you." She held out her hand to help him to his feet and they headed back towards the fence. They stowed away their quivers and bows in their usual spots, and Kit reached out to pull back the hanging fence for Sylvie to climb through first.

"So, is Puck okay?" she asked him when he crawled through and brushed the dirt from his pants.

"What?"

"It's his first year…is he nervous?"

Kit pursed his lips, kicking at a stone on the path as they walked. "Of course he's nervous. I'm nervous too." He jumped a little when he felt the petite brunette slip her arm with his and his cheeks burned for some reason. "I don't think anyone here goes in feeling confident. We aren't Careers."

"You're right," she murmured, focusing on getting her feet in sync with his. "I wouldn't worry so much about Puck. His chances of getting picked are pretty much zero, right? Be sure to tell him that. There are a lot of people whose names are in there many more times than his."

He nodded. "I will." He stopped when Sylvie took her arm back and then unslung the bag that had the game in it. "Are you sure you want me to take this?"

She smiled, those dimples making their appearance, and nodded. "I know how much Puck likes squirrel. I'll catch you later, okay? Maybe we could do something together after the big show?"

"I…sure. Yeah, we'll do that," Kit answered, not sure why his heart had begun beating faster. He watched her as she turned away and left him, heading back to her house. Before she disappeared around the corner, he called out to her. "Sylvie!" His cheeks burned red when she turned and gave him a curious look, and he was thankful that she couldn't see them. "Why don't you wear ribbons in your hair anymore?"

She stared at him for what seemed like a long time, puzzled. Finally, she gave a sweet laugh and shrugged her shoulders, waving to him before disappearing around the corner.


	2. The Odds

"_Why don't you wear ribbons in your hair anymore?"_

Sylvie laughed quietly to herself again as she walked along the road to her house, shaking her head at Kit's question. What had compelled him to shout that at her? A question like that! She pursed her lips and thought back on the time when she stopped tying her hair up. They weren't exactly little kids anymore, with Kit's boyish features turning closer every day to those of a man. The other girls in the district had started to take notice of him, and he had certainly taken a liking to the attention. The feeling it gave her when he spoke to her about kissing a girl for the first time was indescribable; even now she could feel her stomach twisting into a knot. About that time she had decided not to wear the ribbons: she had wanted to show Kit that she wasn't a little girl anymore. If he had taken any notice, she couldn't recall it.

She sighed and carefully ascended the couple of stairs at the front of her house and went inside, hanging her coat on the nail.

"Sylvie, is that you?" a woman's voice came from down the hall.

"Yeah, it's me," she murmured, the floor creaking as she treaded on it. Her mother was in her bedroom, laying out a couple of dresses on the bed. "What are you doing, mom?"

Zora looked up from the sorry pieces of clothing, her eyes ringed with red. "I wanted you to have something newer, but-"

"Mom," Sylvie stopped her, shaking her head and going to wrap her arms around her. Her mother was never one for tears, the only exception being this day. She would always tell Sylvie that if she went every year and never got reaped, she would never have a reason to cry ever again. "The dresses are fine. I won't be wearing it for long anyway, right? Just to stand around in."

Zora sniffled and she nodded when her only child released her, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "I'll get the bucket filled for you," she whispered, unable to keep her lip from quivering. She stopped in the doorway, turning to give her a feeble smile. "Your father will be home soon."

Sylvie nodded and she walked up to the dresses her mother had lain out for her, chewing on her lip. One was a dingy, burnt rose color, and the other was a faded green. As she debated on which one to wear, she found a part of her brain asking which one Kit would like more. Her cheeks burned and she scoffed quietly, dismissing the thought. As if he cared about what she wore.

"It's ready in the kitchen for you," Zora's soft voice came from behind her. She walked up beside her daughter and examined the two dresses again. "Have you chosen one?"

"Which one do you think?" Sylvie asked her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

A smile lit up her face and she slowly pointed at the green one. "You'll make it look beautiful," she whispered and gave her cheek a soft pat.

In the kitchen, she stripped and sat down in the chair her mother had pulled up in front of the bucket of water. She dipped her feet into the water and began scrubbing at them with the coarse bar of soap, scraping away all the grime she could.

She remembered the days when she wasn't embarrassed about her perpetually dirty state. Before she had become a young woman, she would play in the dirt and the mud and not bat an eyelash. All of the Seam children were like that, until they grew up and realized that there was no time for games. The first few years of her friendship with Kit were like those of any other children who came from their background. They ran around, laughing and chasing one another and arriving home with filthy clothes and hair sticking out all over the place. One by one they grew up, and Sylvie did so shortly after Kit. One day, when she was thirteen, she came to school in the nicest dress she could find ("nicest" was a stretch). It was a soft red thing that stopped just above her knees. She sat up straight and made a point of staying away from the dirt like all the town girls did. But the most different thing about her was that her hair was no longer tied in yellow ribbons like it used to be. It rested in thick, dark waves that went past her shoulders, no ribbons in sight.

Nowadays, of course, she didn't give a care in the world what she looked like. She had gotten over her prim-and-proper phase as quickly as it had begun, and she was back to being dirty and reckless. Dresses felt strange on her; she much preferred to wear worn-down pants and shirts that hid the fact that she had a shape. The only time she ever wore dresses was Reaping Day, and here it was again. She was sixteen and not so afraid of the Reaping for herself as she was for Kit, and now Puck. Both of the Lustrell boys had become like family to her. Sometimes they were like brothers, and sometimes she felt like Kit was her husband and Puck was their son. But whenever she thought of it that way, she would bite the inside of her cheek and turn bright red, like Kit could read her thoughts and would think she was insane. On many occasions, it did feel like he could read her thoughts. It was uncanny how they finished one another's sentences and said what was on the other's mind.

A train horn sounded outside and Sylvie stepped out of the bucket, accepting the ratty old towel her mother handed her. She dried herself off, put on her underthings and slipped into her faded green dress, the thin fabric cool against her warm skin.

"That's my girl," Zora smiled and cupped her daughter's round cheeks in both hands. She sniffled and took a shaky breath, which was muffled against Sylvie's chest as she pulled her into a hug.

"They're too scared to pick me. They know how good I am at surviving," she laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'd dominate before any of those Careers had a chance!"

"They've got good reason to be scared of you," Sylvie's father's voice came from the front of the house. He was filthy from work, and he must have been exhausted, but the smile on his face was warm. "One look at you and chills go down their spine," he teased, stopping Sylvie before she hugged him. "I don't want to ruin your dress, sweetheart. Let me change my clothes, and then we'd better get going." Armand disappeared and Zora followed him, leaving the young girl alone in her bedroom.

Sylvie swept up her dark hair and tied it with a band, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Had she kept that old thing? She rummaged through her drawers and smiled when she found her light yellow ribbon tucked away at the bottom of one. She stepped up to the dirty, cracked mirror that was propped one corner of the room and she threaded the ribbon under her ponytail, tying it into a neat bow. Her heart was pounding as she stared at herself and the meal from earlier that morning churned in her stomach, threatening to make another unwanted appearance.

"Oh, you're wearing your ribbon!" Zora said with delight as they walked along with the other families that were being herded towards the center of town. She had a funny kind of smile on her lips, like she wanted to say something else, but didn't. "Look for us so you know where to find us after, okay?" She stopped before the check-in stations, her eyes getting watery again.

"I will," she whispered, hugging her mother tightly. "I love you, mom."

"Don't be long, baby," Armand winked and he pinched her cheek softly, then stooped down to plant a kiss on her forehead. He took hold of Zora's arm and he led her away to where the other people of the district were to wait—wait to see if their children would be condemned or saved for one more year. They quickly disappeared in the rush of people, and Sylvie swallowed, squeezing her hands together to keep them from trembling.

A slightly taller blonde girl went in front of her, and Sylvie frowned when she realized how ratty she looked in comparison. This girl had her long hair cascading in waves down her back and she was wearing a new pink gingham dress like people from the Seam could only dream of affording. She didn't smell like coal and she wasn't a stick, and Sylvie immediately envied her. She peeked over her shoulder and saw the name register when her finger was pricked. Lux Haze. Definitely not a Seam name.

"Excuse me," the girl whispered as she passed Sylvie on her way to the sixteen-year-olds, briefly meeting her brown eyes with her wide, pale blue ones. She looked at her feet as she walked and said nothing to anyone else.

"Give me your hand, please," the woman Peacekeeper said, a little irritated that Sylvie was taking her time watching Lux walk away. She took hold of her wrist and prodded her fingertip with the device. When the she confirmed that the smear of blood was indeed hers, the lady nodded for her to proceed and she filed into the section of other sixteen-year-olds. She had been one of the last people to arrive, so she was crammed towards the back of the group, next to a redhead that Kit had told her had been a good time. Whatever he had meant by that, she didn't know, but she also knew that she didn't like it. She found Lux standing not far away, her arms folded as she shuffled her feet in the dust. Even the poorer kids looked more thrilled to be there than she did.

Sylvie craned her neck above the girls, looking for Puck in the twelve-year-olds' section but couldn't find him. It didn't take her long to find Kit with the seventeen-year-olds. He had that self-assured smile on his face, making her grin when she caught his eye.

"You clean up nice," she mouthed to him, and she laughed when he winked.

A couple of loud booms came from the microphone and a few people were startled.

` "Welcome, welcome, welcome!" It was Effie Trinket, Sylvie's least favorite person in the world. She glanced over at Kit and saw him chuckling quietly. Later they would both be laughing at how ridiculous the woman and her annual routine was. That's what they always did, because it meant that they were safe once again.

"Happy Hunger Games!" Effie continued, and Sylvie mouthed the words to Kit, who grinned again.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," Kit mouthed back, right in sync with Effie. This year was going to be no different. He was convinced. They both were.


	3. A Girl Like You

Lux always drifted off into another world during the propaganda film. Her mind went elsewhere while the same words she had heard over and over again over the past sixteen years were just that – words. Syllables that meant nothing as they went in one ear and out the other. She would think about crawling back in bed and sleeping for the rest of the day while everyone else celebrated. Sometimes she thought about boys, like just about every girl did. Mostly she thought about him.

He didn't know she existed. To him, she was a schoolmate and nothing more. They happened to live in the same district. They had blonde hair and blue eyes. That was where their similarities stopped. She was the opposite of a Seam girl – fair complexion, quiet and proper, and certainly not starving on a daily basis. No, she was made to work in her parents' bakery and therefore had plenty of bread to eat. She wondered what it would be like to run down to what they called the Hob, trade in something for some fresh meat from the woods, and have just one more thing in common with him.

Her sisters and parents stood somewhere in the distant crowd of those family members and friends who could only watch as those who were eligible stood around the stage. She didn't look up for fear of making eye contact with one of them. They scared her, they hurt her, and they made her feel weak and worthless. But they were her family, and aside from them she had nothing. It wasn't like she could run away from home. Her closest bet was to somehow be reaped and then all her troubles would go away. In a few days, she could walk into the arena and let a Career decapitate her. Quick, painless. She would come home in a plain wooden box and her family would be indifferent.

"One less mouth to feed," her mother would say.

"She was always too sensitive." Her sisters would sneer at her and happily forget she ever existed.

Her father would be silent, and maybe he would give her the luxury of a gentle touch on her pitiful excuse for a coffin, but that would be a miracle in itself.

Yes, that would be wonderful. She was resolved to volunteer, save some poor little girl's life and march onto that stage like she owned it. She owned her fate.

"Ladies first," Effie smiled. She did her usual overly dramatic show of picking a slip from the bowl, and it was agony to wait. At last that well-manicured hand selected a piece of paper and the sound of it being unfurled was the only noise in the entire square.

_Lux Haze. Lux Haze. Lux Haze._

"Lux Haze!"

Not many people turned around to look at her, because she was a very forgettable person. The few people who did were those who took pity on her when they saw her slaving over the ovens at her family's bakery, or who had even witnessed her being hit and spat on. Her family was probably planning a party already. That's when she realized Effie had really said her name. This wasn't a daydream.

"Lux Haze? Where are you, darling?"

_I didn't mean it! _Lux's brain screamed as her feet took her toward the stage. A few Peacekeepers let her pass and she remembered to pick up her feet when she walked, lest she look like a sloth. _I was joking! Fantasizing! Dreaming! _She deserved a slap to the face for this one. _You're a world-class idiot, Lux…_

"There she is," the pink-haired woman beamed as Lux was ushered to her. "Tell us, how old are you, dear?"

The microphone was thrust into her face. She sucked in a quiet breath and suddenly forgot how old she was. "S-sixteen," she whispered.

"Sixteen," Effie said in a semi-surprised voice. She patted the girl's shoulder and smiled again, her teeth so white against that deep mauve lipstick. "Well, you're doing a very commendable thing by coming up here and taking your place in this year's games. Are you excited?"

Lux just blinked at the pink-haired woman, her mouth slightly open like she had no idea how to respond. Maybe she had secretly wished this would happen, but who took secret wishes seriously?

Effie sighed quietly and returned to the bowl of slips, smiling out at the crowd. "And now, for the boys!"

Lux's eyes searched the crowd for Kit and she bit her lip when she found him. His gaze was elsewhere. If only she could just get him to look at her, notice her…that would make her last days worthwhile. She wanted to kick herself; she sounded like such an idiot.

"Kit Lustrell!"

_You have got to be kidding me._ Lux swallowed and watched as all eyes went to the tall blonde boy in the middle of the crowd. This was some sort of cosmic joke.

Part of her was thrilled, even excited. He was going to be her partner, he was going to work with her and notice her and he would_ have_ to speak to her!

As he made his way up the stage, she noticed the veins on the back of his hands. To die by his hands wouldn't be bad at all. It would be welcome in a bittersweet way. She would convince him to kill her, so at least her last moments could be the stuff her dreams were made of.

_You're truly insane. He doesn't even know your name. This is a television show, and you'll be dead in a week. Miracles like that don't happen, especially to a girl like you._


	4. Goodbyes

"But why do you have to go?" Puck whined.

Sylvie sighed and she leaned her head back against the wall outside the room Kit and his family were in. Her eyes and her throat felt like they were burning and she tried to clear her throat to relieve the discomfort. She wanted to scream, she wanted to run far away, out of District Twelve and beyond. But she couldn't.

"It's going to be okay," Kit's father murmured through the wall.

"Don't cry, Puck," Kit whispered, and Sylvie imagined him holding his shoulders, giving him that loving look that Kit only had when he spoke to his little brother. "I'm going to try really hard, okay? I have at least half a chance, don't I?"

This all felt like a terrible dream. The sound of Puck sniffling and Kit comforting him made the burning in her throat intensify, and she bit down on her lip hard. The pain succeeded in temporarily distracting her from the burning and she concentrated on the wall opposite her. On the other side of the closed door was where Lux Haze waited for her family. She hadn't seen anyone go in there, and there was no sound coming from the room. The thought of the young girl not having anyone to tell her they loved her, or at least embrace her for what could possibly be the last time, saddened her. But there was nothing Sylvie could do to fix it or change it. She was powerless just like everyone else.

The door to Kit's room opened and she stood up straight, watching as Mr. Lustrell led Puck out, who was trying his very hardest not to cry. She caught his eye as they passed her, and she started to reach out to ruffle his dirty blond hair. He shrunk away from her and lowered his eyes to the floor, and she swallowed as she watched the two disappear down the hall. It was time for her to say her goodbyes now. Her heart hammered in her chest and her mouth felt dry as a bone as she approached the door. She turned the knob and pushed it open, finding Kit standing against the far wall, running his hand against one of the velvet curtains.

He turned his head to look at her, and one corner of his mouth tugged up in a smile. "Come to say 'I told you so?'"

Sylvie opened her mouth to retort, but instead, a choked sob exploded from her throat. Her knees trembled as she held onto the doorknob and the doorframe, staring at her best friend with tears streaming down her face. The look of astonishment on Kit's face made her want to laugh, but that was quite impossible as of right now. She was very like her mother in which she rarely cried. The only time she could recall ever crying in front of Kit was when she had fallen through the roof of an old shelter in the meadow and broken her arm. He had carried her all the way back to her mother and even held her hand while they reset the bone.

His arms were stronger now than they had been a couple years ago; she noticed this as he hugged her close. Her arms were wound around his waist and squeezing his body tightly, and her head was tucked up under his chin. "Why?" she whispered, although she knew there was no reason for it to happen. His name was drawn, and no one volunteered, the end. She coughed out another small cry, gripping the back of his shirt in her hands. She slowly released him and wiped her eyes when he stood back, his lips set in a line. "Are you okay?"

He laughed quietly, but the expression on his face contradicted it. "I'm fine, Sylvie. I need you to do something for me, okay?"

"Anything," she breathed, her brown eyes wide.

"I need you to watch after Puck. Dad can't—the mines-" He broke off, running a hand through his tangled hair. "I told him not to take any tesserae, that you would bring him food and watch after him."

She swallowed, seeing the look on Puck's face in the hallway, and how he had shrunken away from her touch.

"Don't take him into the woods. He's still too young, and I don't want anything to happen to him," Kit continued, a dazed look in his eye. He blinked and looked at her, his eyes softening. "I want you to be careful too. I know you always are, but…you're the only one I can trust with Puck. And if I don't come back-"

"Don't say that," Sylvie whimpered, half-pleading. "You have to come back, Kit."

"I'm going to try," he said in a tone that sounded more like him speaking to his brother than her. He reached out and put his hand to her cheek, gently wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. "I'll do whatever it takes to come back to you."

Her heart fluttered in her chest and she blinked, hoping that she didn't just imagine him saying that. She stared up at him for a few quiet seconds before closing her eyes and nestling her face against his warm palm. "I'll take care of Puck," she whispered before Kit wrapped his arms around her again. His fingers petted her dark hair and she closed her eyes once more, breathing in the familiar scent of his soap. "Did they give you anything for a token?"

"No," He murmured, releasing her and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "No one really thinks to bring one, when you think about it. 'I wasn't expecting you to get reaped, so here, have my shoelace, and may the odds be ever in your favor.'"

Sylvie rolled her eyes and she sighed. She started to reach back for her ribbon, her hands trembling slightly. "I want you to take this."

"Is it a kiss?"

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she shook her head, showing him the ribbon. Did he even realize what he had just said? Probably not. Just another joke. "Take it."

Kit's eyes widened and he looked at the band and then her face. "Sylvie, I can't. It's yours."

"That's right it's mine. So you'd better think about winning so you can bring it back to me," she said with a raised eyebrow. "And if you don't, you'll face something even worse than death. Me."

He smiled and took the ribbon from her hand, closing his palm around it and holding it tightly. "Okay," he whispered, nodding. "I promise." He slipped it into his pocket and looked down at her, a strange sort of smile on his face. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, letting his lips linger there for a few seconds.

The door opened and Sylvie looked over her shoulder at the Peacekeeper standing there. "Time to go."

She was crushed against Kit's chest once more before he let go and she was led from the room. "You can win, Kit!" she cried, catching one final glimpse of him before the door closed.

Kit swallowed as he stared at the closed door, the ensuing silence ringing in his ears. He slowly walked over to the door and turned the handle, hesitating before pulling it open a crack. He gasped quietly as he looked across the hall and found Lux peeking outside of the door. His face burned when their blue eyes locked and he quickly shut the door and leaned his back against it. What was he going to do? He closed his eyes and immediately he could see his little brother struggling to hold back his tears. He hadn't been too successful at doing so, letting a couple tears trickle down his cheeks. And then Sylvie, who had outright sobbed in front of him. It nearly broke his heart to see her like that.

He heard footsteps outside the door and he swallowed, opening his eyes. He was leaving his home, and there was a very high chance that he wouldn't come back.

"It's time to go," there was a knock at the door.

Kit ran his thumb against the silky material of Sylvie's ribbon and he tucked it into his pocket. He would go. He would not cry.

His partner was silent as a ghost as they followed Effie out of the building. Her eyes seemed dry, but there was a faint mark on her cheek that looked suspiciously like a handprint, and that cheek was slightly puffy.

"You two are going to love the Capitol!" Effie squealed. She tottered by on her plum-colored high heels as they went to the car that would take them to the train station. She sat in the middle, flanked on either side by her new tributes. Kit noticed a gold pin above Lux's right breast and he stared at it, trying to figure out what it was.

"It's a mockingjay," she whispered, startling him. Effie had stopped talking for about ten seconds as she powdered her face, and Lux was giving Kit a faint smile. She had pulled her long hair back into a low ponytail and she looked even more like a doll with her hair out of her face. "My dad gave it to me. It was supposed to be my birthday present, but…that might never come now." She uttered a soft little laugh and then sat back, watching District Twelve go by from the car window.

Kit was mesmerized by the quiet girl whom he had grown up with, but barely given any thought to. She was in the same class as him and Sylvie, but he couldn't recall her ever speaking to him. All he knew was that she was the baker's daughter and her two older sisters were popular loudmouths in comparison. She was smart, too; she always did well in her classes. But he couldn't recall much more about the mysterious Lux Haze.

"Here we are! Come on, we have a schedule to stick to!" Effie said cheerfully, with just a hint of urgency. She let Kit get out first and was followed by Lux. Cameras were everywhere as they got onto the platform and walked down to one of the train cars. "This will be your home for the next day or so. If you think this is nice, just wait till you get to the Capitol!"

Kit smiled and shook his head. If Effie weren't an escort, she would be a wonderful travel agent. Or a salesperson. Hell, he would buy whatever she was selling just to get her to be quiet. He motioned for Lux to go inside first and followed her in. The doors sealed shut and the smell of coal dust was immediately gone from the air. Here they were, on their way to an entirely different world, and all Kit had with him were strangers.

"And here they are. Our new tributes," a somewhat familiar voice said from the car. Kit recognized the scruffy blond man with his bare feet on the table as Haymitch Abernathy, District Twelve's one and only victor, living or otherwise. He was a notorious drunk, and just one look at Lux told him that she was uncomfortable around him. Kit felt an odd sense of protectiveness and he stood right by the blonde girl, swallowing.

"Haymitch, this is Kit Lustrell and Lux Haze. Look at them! Aren't they lovely? We won't have any trouble getting sponsors with these two, will we?" Effie beamed, her hands on the couple's shoulders.

Haymitch snorted and knocked over an empty glass with his foot. "That depends on if they've got more than looks going for them." He looked at the two of them, his brow furrowed. "She looks like a wallflower. He has potential, but probably nothing compared to the Career boys."

Kit was more than slightly offended, but he didn't feel like bringing up his hunting experience for fear of sounding like a braggart. "That's what you're here for, right? To make us better?"

Haymitch smirked, nodded, and poured himself another glass of copper-colored liquid. Kit could practically smell the alcohol on his breath from a couple yards away. "Yeah, yeah. That's right. So tell me what I'm gonna be working with."

* * *

_AN (Rachel): _Hi everyone! I can't apologize enough for the wait you had to endure for this next chapter. School, work, and family issues all got in the way and I was just stuck in a rut, creativity-wise. Luckily, Kelsey is the most patient and understanding person ever, so I finally got the chance to sit down and add to the chapter she so wonderfully started. I hope that you're still excited to see what our trio of Kit, Sylvie, and Lux go through next, because we have some HUGE exciting and heartbreaking things in store. In fact, we have two sequels already planned, so don't worry about us running out of ideas! There's a lot of great stuff going back and forth between us and we are both so excited to bring it to you. Now that summer break is here, you can expect a lot more updates and for them to be much closer to one another. Thank you for reading, and be sure to recommend us to your friends!


	5. The Pin

"Sit down and we can talk some more." Haymitch motioned to the table on which his feet were propped, waiting for his new tributes to take a seat.

Lux and Kit raised their eyebrows at each other. They had witnessed his drunken stupor around the district, especially at Reapings, but it was strange to be talking to him. "Um—" Kit started, but he was interrupted by the thump of Haymitch's glass hitting the floor.

Effie sighed, her powdered face trying its hardest to maintain her polite composure. "We can have some lunch. You two haven't eaten, have you?" She sat down, smoothed out her skirt, and took a pastry in one of her dainty hands. She blinked at the two of them, as if offended by the fact that they weren't sitting down yet.

Lux took the seat across from Haymitch, her upper lip twitching as she smelled his feet. Luckily, she was good at hiding her disgust. She poured a cup of tea and excitedly dumped a few spoons of sugar in it. Spoons of sugar, what a luxury! Even though she lived with bakers, she never experienced many treats like sugar or nice bread. Her father used to tell her old fairy tales when she was younger. Her favorite one was about a young girl who was stuck with an evil stepmother and sisters who tortured her until she met a prince, fell in love, and her family got their just desserts in the end. Pun intended.

"So when are we going to start training?" Kit asked. His voice brought Lux out of her momentary daze and she looked over at him, those wide eyes peering at him over her cup of tea.

"Training already? You don't even want to enjoy the ride?" Haymitch grunted incredulously. "Come on. We have little cakes." He stuck a tiny cupcake on his finger and grinned, much to Effie's dismay.

"You'll have plenty of time for formal training in the Capitol," the pink-haired woman said in her shrill voice. She sat up as straight as possible, her shoulders back and her delicate fingers holding her cup as if she had been trained. Even the mayor's family didn't act that fancy.

"Do you want to check out the competition?" Haymitch asked, ignoring Effie's glares intended for him. He licked the icing from his fingers and pressed a button on the remote, which caused the television to turn on.

"—and yet another volunteer from District One! Wow, these two could turn out to be some lethal competition, folks, what do you say?" Caesar Flickerman had appeared in his electric blue wig, smiling as usual. "That Glimmer looks pretty, but is she just a delicate flower?"

Lux could hear the television in the background, but all she was focusing on was Kit. At the risk of sounding like a stalker, she had admired him like this several times. He probably hadn't known her name until an hour ago.

"Ooh, do you see the ferocity in her eyes? She's small, but I think those two will be quite a driving force in the arena." Caesar was looking at a dark-haired girl and a much-taller blond boy from District Two. Lux's eyes wandered to the screen and she swallowed. Every year, she would just see the same thing. Dead, dead, dead. All but one, dead. Might as well shoot them now and get it over with. But that would be much less miserable than giving them all a chance, right? If she were watching herself on the television at home, she would think the same thing. Dead girl walking. And from Twelve? There was no hope whatsoever. Kit at least had a chance. Kit had people supporting him, he had talent, he had charm, he had everything he needed to have a fighting chance. Lux was a flower next to him.

"Cheer up, sweetheart. No sense in frowning." Haymitch reached across the table to flick her nose. "What've you got to pout about? Besides, well…everything." He laughed, amused with himself, and downed another glass of whiskey.

Lux's expression soured and she stood up, pushing in her chair. "I'm going to lie down. Where's…the, uh…" The trains were never broadcast on television. She felt like an idiot.

"Your car is two over. The one with the dresses in the closet," Effie said cheerfully. "Oh, I can't wait to see what they picked out for you! You'll look like a doll in florals."

She smiled and went to her car, relieved to see that no one had followed her. Here she was again, alone. She sat down on her bed, running her hand along the fine fabric of her crisp sheets. It was so quiet, even with the train running over two hundred miles per hour. She watched the sights from her window, but the ever-changing blur made her a bit nauseous. Her eyes went to the mirror, and she touched the pin attached to her dress.

* * *

"You know what this means?" The oldest Haze sister, Delia, had glared at Lux once she and the rest of the family wandered into the waiting room in the Justice Hall. "I'm gonna have to take up your shifts at the bakery. All of them!" She rolled her eyes and went over to a dusty old mirror across the room. She busied herself with fixing her mousy brown bun, like this was some inconvenient stop on a road trip. Olive joined her at the mirror, the two of them murmuring and shaking their heads about their baby sister.

"I hope you don't come back," her mother hissed. She took Lux's chin in one hand and stared coolly into her bloodshot eyes. "You've been nothing but a burden ever since you were born! At least we won't have to worry about you anymore."

"M-mama…" Lux's lower lip trembled and she held her hands behind her back. "Mom, I...I'm gonna try…I love you," she whimpered. She opened her mouth to say more, but her mother's right hand hit her cheek with a loud smack. Lux swallowed and looked at her mother, her tears spilling over, but she didn't make a sound.

"We'll see you on television." Mrs. Haze ushered the older girls out of the room and gave her husband a cursory glance. When she realized he wasn't following them out, the three women left.

"Lux," he murmured. He sighed, stroking her cheek where a hand-shaped red mark was appearing. "You'll do well out there. I know it." He kissed her forehead, and Lux closed her eyes. The only time her father showed her affection was when they were alone, and her mother and sisters weren't there to harp on her.

"I'm scared," she whispered. Indeed her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding almost painfully fast. She was slightly comforted when he took her slender hands in his large, worn ones.

"I was saving this for when you got married off, or something like that. Your mother'll kill me for giving it to you and not one of the other girls, but you deserve it." She watched him reach into his pants pocket, and a small gold pin appeared in his palm. It was a circle with a bird in the center, mid-flight, an arrow clutched in its beak. "But she doesn't know the story behind it. She just thinks it's a pretty old trinket."

"What is it?" she asked. She took the pin in her fingers and ran her thumb along it. It had obviously seen years of wear and tear.

Her father moved in closer and his voice dropped. His lips were against her ear and she swallowed at the words that came out of his mouth next.

"Your great-grandfather was a rebel leader in the Dark Days," he said in a low voice. She shivered when his stubble tickled her pale skin. "Haze family secret. This was the pin he wore when his troops attacked the Capitol. He died, but the pin was sent back to his wife. She was pregnant with their daughter, and she wore it till the day she died, too. I think you're worthy of the honor," he said with a reassuring smile. He stood back, his hands on her upper arms.

"Time to leave," a Peacekeeper interrupted, and Lux had no idea how long he had been standing there. He could have witnessed the whole exchange between her and her father, for all she knew. And if he had heard anything sensitive, trouble would be ahead.

"Make me proud, kid. I do love you," her father smiled again. He kissed her cheek and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and Lux was alone with the Peacekeeper, gold pin in hand.

* * *

"You in there, kid?"

Lux had only been on the train for a short matter of time but she already recognized the voice. It was slightly slurred, Haymitch's trademark. She went to the door and opened it just enough to peek through the crack at him.

"Hey," he smiled. He scratched his neck and Lux wrinkled her nose at the stink of whiskey breath. "You gonna come back and join us? You are part of the team now, after all. Even if you are a little doll." He ruffled her hair and smiled lazily at her, then his eyes went to her pin and the smile faded somewhat. "Nice pin."

_AN: So sorry for the long wait! I have been suffering from serious writer's block the last few months and I have no idea why it's so hard to crank out chapters! But I hope to have more up ASAP, with the lovely Kelsey's help :) Thank you guys so much for sticking with me, and please stay tuned! xx_


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